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H. E. WEHNER AND F. HELLER.

FISHING DEVICE.

APPLICATION HLED MAY 5. 1919.

Patented Oct. 7, 1919.

FTC;

HERMAN E. WEI-IN'ER AND FRANK J. HELLER,'OF CHICAGO, InLiNo'I's.

FISHING ionv'rcn.

Application filed-May 5, 1919. Serial No. 294,941.

To all whom z't may concern-:-

Belt known that we, HERMAN E. WEH- NER and FRANKJ. HELLER, citizens of the United States, residing'at Chicago, in the *county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improve ments in Fishing Devices, off'whio'h the following is a specification.

This invention relates to fishing devices and has for its primary obj ect the provision of an improved device of this character which shall have improved means for sig- 'na'li-ng the presence er a fish on the fishing {tackle attached to the device. fAnother ob-' ject is the provision of improvedconstruct ion for fishingdevices of this type whereby a very positive signal is given and whereby an extremely simple and cheap form of bell may be employed. Another object is the provision of a fishing device comprising very few parts simple in opera;

tion and economical to manufacture.

, Other obj ects and advantages of the present invention will appear from the following description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings which illustrate the preferred embodiment of the invention and form .a part of this specification. I

In the drawings: W Figure 1 is a top plan viewof the invention showing it attached to a fishing rod in set position.

invention shown in Fig. 1 showing the device in sprung position in dotted lines.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary section taken on" line of Fig. 2 and looking in the direction indicated by the arrows. l

Reference numeral 10 indicates the tip of l the fishing rod. While the present invention 1s attachable to a boat or the floor of apier,

it is here shown in the preferable embodiment adapted for attachment to a fishing pole. A piece of spring wire 11 parallels the surface of the pole and is attached to the pole by means of any suitable clamp 12. From clamp 12 the wire extends forwardly a considerable distance and at its forward end is bent to form a stationary trigger loop '13 upstanding from the pole. From the loop 13 the wire passes downwardly and its extremity is bent about the pole to form a reraining ring 14. Just behind the clamp 12 the wire 11 is helically coiled to form a spring 15, the wire extending forwardly Specification of Letters Batent.

"Patented Got. 7, 1919.

' from the spring coil forming aspring arm 16. The forward extremity 'of the spring arm 16is bent to "form a substantially horizontal aXle17 positioned atsuch a distance from the spring 15 as to sta11d*directly above the trigger loo'pl3 in the'set position of the device. 'A single piece of wire generally in- =d1eated by numeral 18 is looped as at 19 to form a bearingloosely journaled uponthe axle 17. The wire 18 depends from the loop 19 a short distance and is bent forwardly at its lower end to form a trigger '21. From the loop 19 the wire 18 extends upwardly and is formed at its upper extremity into an eyelet 22. Secured to the spring arm 16 preferably forward of its middle, but sufficiently removed from its forward end to permit free playof the wire 18, is fixed a bracket 23 carrying a bell 24 rigidly fixed upon thebracket. In the set position of the device the bell 24 has its convexity uppermost. The fish-line 25 is attached by its rear end to the eyelet 22 on the wire 18, passes forwardly therefrom through the line guide 26 at the forward end of the pole 10 and on its outer end carries the usual fishing hook 27. 1 The resiliency of the spring 15 is such that the spring arm 16 is normally thrown to the dotted line position shown in Fig. 2 where it is very nearly in alinement with that portion of the wire 11 I which is integral with the spring arm and Fig. '2 is a side elevation of the rod and 16 would strikethe surface 'of the pole rearwardly of the clamp 12. In setting the device the spring arm 16 is bent forwardly and downwardly to position its axle 17 above the trigger loop 13, whereupon the trigger 21 is caught upon the loop 13 as best seen in Figs. 2 and 3. With the devlce n this position the spring arm is locked 1n tensed condition, the wire 18 upstanding from the axle 17. When the fish bites the hook 27, causing a jerk thereon, a forward movement of the fishing line 25 rotates the loop 19 on the axle 17 tripping the trigger 21 from its loop 13 and releasing the spr ng arm to the action of the heavy coiled spr ng 15. The spring 15 now acts to jerk the line 25 violently inboard setting the hook 27 firmly in the fishs mouth. At the same time the backward throw of the arm 16 causes the bell 24 to strike violently against the or point of juncture with the bracket 23.

The point on the bell which contacts with the pole in the normal or released position of the device is approximately indicated at i 29 in Fig. 2. IVere the bell to strike exactly at its point of contact with the bracket 23 there would be little or no vibration of the bell. In order to insure vibration the bell is caused to strike the pole at a point eccentric to its junction with the bracket; no matter how violently the bell was vibrated however it would not ring if its vibrating edge 28 were held in contact withthe pole. For this reason the contact point 29 is remote from the vibrating edge. It is to be noted that except for the bracket 23 which carries it, the bell 24: comprises preferably a single piece of metal, this being the cheapest known form of bell. It is further to be noted that the arm 16 passes through an obtuse angle greater than 140.

Two advantages are inherent in this swing of the arm through such a long are: first the jerking of the line 25 and the hook 27 V with violence and through a considerable distance; and secondly the spring 15 is given a long time in which to accelerate the speed of bell 24: from the tripping of the trigger to the contact between the bell and the pole 10 resulting in a very loud and positive ringing of the bell.

While we have illustrated and described the preferred embodiment of'our invention, it will be obvious that one skilled in the art may make modifications thereof without departing from the spirit of the invention. Therefore we wish not to be restricted to the precise embodiment shown, except in so far as the same is limited in the appended claims.

end thereof, and said spring arm having c frame element,jsaid first namedwire being 7 of spring metal and helically coiled rearwarclly. of said clamp and extending from the coil to form a spring arm bent at its free end to define an axle, the second piece of wire being coiled to form a bearing loosely j ournaled upon said axle,,one end of the second wire depending fromthe free end of the spring arm and being bent to form a trigger adapted to engage said trigger loop, the opposite end of said second wire upstanding from the axle in set position of the device and formed at its upper end for connection with a fishing line, said bell being attached to the spring arm near the free a tendency to describe an arc backwar ly from its set position and said bell being so attached to the spring arm as-to strike the pole in advance of the arm.

2. In a fishing device the combination with a frame element, and an arm movable toward the same, of a substantially hemispherical bell, a bracket projecting toward the frame element from said arm and rigidly attached to said arm and to the concave side of the bell at the deepest point thereof, said arm and bracketbeing so arranged with respect to the frame element that in movement of the arm toward the frame element the bell is brought in contact with the frame element at a point on the bell between its vi 'bratin edge and its point of connection with said bracket.

In testimony whereof we afiixed our signatures.

HERMAN E. WEHNER. FRANK J. HELLER.

Copies 0! this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, I). c. 

